Emerald-green to ultramarine, the colours of the 133 m deep Lake Achensee in Jenbach fascinate its visitors. Due to its extraordinary water quality the range of underwater vision amounts to up to 10 metres. The lake - 9,4 km long and 1 km wide - covers an area of 6.8 sqkm, impounding 481 millions of cubic metres of water! Lake Achensee is not only called “Fjord of the Alps”, but also the “Tyrolean Sea”, as the lake offers perfect wind conditions for sailers and surfers. However, the water temperature of the lake is rather low and hardly amounts to 20 degrees, only at the southern bank the lake reaches about 22 degrees, which makes this area very popular with families.

In Achenkirch, located at the north lakeside, cold mountain streams join the lake and this is also where a headland has been constructed to make bathing more pleasant. Further localities at the lakeside are Pertisau, located at the west lakeside, as well as Maurach at the south east lakeside. Also the position of Lake Achensee is unique, as it is located in the heart of the Karwendel mountain chain, the largest protected area in Europe. The Achental valley and Lake Achensee bound the Karwendel mountain chain in the west, while in the east the lake bounds the Brandenberger Alps. To those who would like to enjoy the lake from a bird’s eye perspective we recommend to scale the Bärenkopf mountain. From this summit you can best enjoy a great panoramic view on the mountain lake, shimmering in different colours…

Due to various texts and illustrations in the hunting and fishing manuscripts of Emperor Maximilian, Lake Achensee was famous already at the beginning of the 15th century. Due to its richness in fish, the lake has been of great importance also to the territorial lords of Tyrol. Moreover the Emperor Maximilian I. and Archduke Ferdinand II. had majestic ships built for Lake Achensee. The history in terms of tourism started in 1887 AD, when the first ship for guest called “St. Josef” was introduced. Since 1927 the water of the lake has been used for generating electricity.

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